Primed For Extinction Part 3
by dougaude
Summary: With Maya out of commission - suffering from the rare and fatal Siren disease Starlight - Zero is forcing himself to search for the Cure. Supposedly the rare extract of a long extinct mineral can cure any disease, even Starlight. Zero's search leads him to the continent Aegrus, where he finds something nether he nor Sir Hammerlock expects.
1. Hunt For The Cure Begins

**Chapter 1: Hunt For The Cure Begins**

**Mission(s): Savage Lands * Main Mission**

**DLC: Sir Hammerlock's Big Game Hunt**

"Aha! You've made it, old chum! I've set up a base camp of sorts near your location. Come find me would you?"

Zero checked the digital map he had downloaded off the ECHOnet. Included in the map package was also a brief article describing the continent of Aegrus – which basically told Zero that the land was home to many a rare creature, and plant. It then stood by reason and logic that Zero would be able to track down the illusive vile of Starlight poison that would act as the antidote to Maya's worsening condition.

Zero stood in front of a fast travel station, having just been greeted by Sir Hammerlock he looked at his immediate surroundings. Zero stood on a riverbank, hemmed in by low but craggy rock walls. Situated in the cliff wall opposite Zero several thick iron bars were placed, to keep the cliff from collapsing and blocking the flow of water.

Up the cliff and in the distance but nearer to Zero was three waterfalls, the lower most hidden by the cliff section with the bars. The upper two provided a path for a seemingly endless stream of water to flow down. The water streamed down the three waterfalls, passed through the metal bars, and washed straight through area to the right disappearing from Zero's current view.

In front of the river nearest Zero, to the left up against the cliff wall, on top of the cliff wall where the water passed through, and to Zero's immediate left lay one abandoned Hyperion cargo crate per location. Zero was up on a ledge of sorts, for when he moved forward past the crate in front of him; he ended up sliding down a slope 5 feet almost submerging him self in the river.

Looking to his left and then to his right, Zero sees two more Hyperion cargo crates haphazardly dumped in the stream, almost blocking its path. The one to Zero's right was open, and allowed the river water to flow through it.

Reaching a hand down Zero tested the water, and found it (through suit sensors) to be very cold. Looking around him once more Zero found the arrangement of the crates told him that they must have landed here by accident. Maybe a giant ship had been flying overhead; it's cargo spilling out in the process of crash landing?

Accepting this as the most logical explanation for the moment, Zero turned to his right and briskly walked along the rivers edge. As soon as he did however, Zero stopped short looking out. The area widened magnificently unto the first part of Aegrus. The land in front of Zero was a marsh swamp, patches of land and juts of rock stuck out among stagnant deep looking water.

Zero swept his gaze upwards and saw in the distance immense pillars of rock somehow holding up a ceiling of stone stretching to cover the entire continent of Aegrus. It was then that Zero realized that Aegrus was essentially a gigantic cave – or it had two environments. Swamp on the bottom and on top an uninhabited rock ceiling of unimaginable size.

Realizing that he was wasting time staring at his surroundings, Zero hurried down the stream suddenly it cut off and the ground drops off. The river flowed into a grate system that looked like it also channeled the river through pipes to a different location.

Zero jumps off the edge, realizing after he began falling that there was a ladder leading all the way down from the top of the cliff. Zero lands on a wooden boardwalk that ends abruptly after it began. Zero only has four weapons on him, to conserve space for whatever he might need to bring back to Maya. The Siah-siah Chinook sniper, the Sapping Sand Hawk smg, the Huntin' Bushwack shotgun, and (Zero's favorite non sniper) the Prudential Norfleet rocket launcher.

Satisfied that he could take down any foe with this arsenal, Zero went forward staying on the 'dry' ground patches and avoiding treading in the freezing murky water as much as possible. Zero, due to his stealth-ness in the open manages to sneak him self into the middle of a fight between a bulbous spider like creature walking on massive legs and a camp of men.

At first glance they appear to be normal, until Zero sees one in a painted mask hurling a spear up to the creature's bulbous body. The projectile sticks to its abdomen and the creature turns ever agile on its legs, and the dark skinned gunman fires only a few rounds up and the beast topples.

Before the Savages can advert their attention from their fresh Marsh Drifter kill, one of them gets his head chopped off – while the other is stabbed through the hear with a swift strike from Zero's katana. After eliminating a stooped old savage, mutter and carrying a dangerous looking staff with his shotgun at point blank range Zero moves on.

Traveling now more wary of Savage camps, Zero passes under a structure that only could have been the Hunter's Lodge.

Sir Hammerlock comes on the ECHO, "I'm nearby. Come find me and we'll fight our way to the lodge together. Then it'll be nothing but a carefree weekend of hunting, companionship, and jokes about bawdy social taboos."

Zero hugs the right side of the cliff wall, but ends up having to cross-frigid marsh water once a waterfall cuts off the next available dry land mass. Zero makes it across and finds that his suit is holding up remarkably well – despite all the abuse he had given it over the last year or two.

Zero turns the corner around the cliff – walking on dry land – and comes to a decaying metal floor spread out before the base of a door constructed in the cliff side. Zero turns right and slips between two massive rusting doors. The cliff is hollow inside and Zero jogs forward seeing Hammerlock sitting on a crate surrounded by empty provision boxes and a sleeping bad, as well as a lantern.

Zero walks forward across the hollowed out cliff, and finds that Hammerlock's camp is situated on one side partially surrounding a rock pillar in the middle of the open space.

Sir Hammerlock says in greeting, "What ho, Vault Hunter! Welcome to Aegrus! The Lodge is just up the path here – stick close and we should arrive with no trouble."

Zero follows Hammerlock up the path veering the way he had come, and to the right out into the open via a hole in the rock. Hammerlock followed by Zero come to a wooden path constructed high above the marsh below, which connects to the Lodge.

Suddenly out of nowhere Savages rush from inside the Lodge's previously closed doors. Hammerlock takes cover behind a defense position several feet back from the Lodge taking out his Elephant Gun. Zero pulls out his Chinook and begins blasting holes in the Savages masks.

With his much more high impact sniper, Sir Hammerlock wastes bandits with shields no tougher than elephant hide. Another Witch Doctor comes out of the shack wielding a black staff, but Zero goes invisible and flicks a Kunai – which sticks in the Witch Doctor's torso first scorching the skin then eating away at it with acid.

The Kunai and the body of the Witch Doctor disappear, and the fighting comes to a close with Sir Hammerlock taking the head off of a final Savage.

A creepy voice comes on the ECHO, "I see you in my swamp, little moths. I know why you're here: you want what's in my ship – you want my power."

"-Umm, pardon. We came here to hunt. I'm afraid we've never heard of you before," Sir Hammerlock says apologetically.

The man says surprised, "- Really? Professor Nakayama? "Hyperion Scourge?" I poisoned Atlas's ceo."

Sir Hammerlock says in equal but different surprise, "Oh! That's nice. Good for…good for you."

"People are terrified of me! How do you not know – you guys are assholes," Professor Nakayama then gets off the ECHO.

Sir Hammerlock then explains, stroking his mustache momentarily, "We can use this Lodge as a base of operations for our hunting expeditions. I'll let you do the honors – depress that switch and let there be light."

Zero heads temporarily to the outside of the Lodge, and finds a switch on the side of the Lodge facing the way Zero had entered Aegrus. After flipping it Zero heads inside and hops up on a stool at the bar in the center of the relatively small but very comfortable Lodge.

Sir Hammerlock then says, "Within the bowls of this continent lie dozens of creatures for us to track down! If I can repair that catch-a-boat over there we shall sail into the heart of relative dimness and begin our hunt. Tally ho!"

Abandoning the bar, Zero heads around the counters and heads out the door following Hammerlock. To Zero's left a bounty board sits currently empty of jobs. Zero and Sir Hammerlock walk along an arm of rock descending lower and turning gradually to the right ending at the marshes.

As they walked Sir Hammerlock made conversation, "Thank you for joining me on this expedition, by the by. One can get rather lonely on treks such as these, and, my right hand being made of metal I am incapable of amusing myself in the way most other males would! Phahahaha! Some ribald humor for you, positively ribald."

Zero and Sir Hammerlock make it to the end of the natural stone walkway.

Spying a hunk of metal at the edge of the marsh water Sir Hammerlock cries, "Ah, there's the catch-a-boat station where you can summon a dinghy! I shall have to repair it, after I laugh heartily at the amusing cadences of the word "dinghy." … Ha Ha Ha. Now that that's over with, please watch my back. Once I've repaired the station, you can summon a dinghy, travel deeper into the swamp and start hunting some real game."

So far Zero is enjoying himself, despite the fact of him always being on edge due to the fact that he was always on the lookout for anything that could possible be the cure to the Starlight Disease. If any place could hold such a rare thing, then Aegrus was the place – the damnable cave like continent held more rare atrocities that could be counted (but Sir Hammerlock argues otherwise concerning his almanac).

Sir Hammerlock warns, "Vault Hunter, I fear things are about to get hairy!"

Suddenly two fan boats fly by, shooting corrosive impact grenades.

"They've got boats! Where in damnation did they get boats?"

What followed was a massacre that left the marsh waters around them filled with numerous bodies of Savages, and copious amounts of their blood.

"Something's wrong here Vault Hunter. Who was that horribly over dramatic so-and-so who sicced those savages on us? I finished repairing the catch-a-boat! Grab a dinghy and get going!" Sir Hammerlock instructs, and Zero gives him a salute.

**A/N:** **No other words are necessary, welcome to Part 3 of Primed For Extinction.**


	2. The Swamp Component Part 1

**Chapter 2: The Swamp Component Part 1**

**Mission(s): I Like My Monsters Rare * Side Mission (NC)**

**An Acquired Taste * Side Mission (NC)**

**DLC: Sir Hammerlock's Big Game Hunt**

Deciding to stay in the swamp/marsh lands a while longer to see what he could find, Zero trudges up back to the Hunter's Lodge, and finds Sir Hammerlock inquiring after any missions. The gentleman obliges and Zero listens in.

"I here tell of a borok that dines only on human flesh. You'll either have to be extremely clever, or extremely suicidal to lure it out. I've marked its lair on your ECHO device. Head there now."

Zero looks up the Borok on his ECHO, and ends up looking at some sort of skin covered slimy thing with two large front legs and two small back legs. It looks hideous, and certainly worth the trouble of killing.

Half worried that this'll get him killed Zero heads out the door until he realizes something. Maybe it's not one thing that would help Maya; maybe it's a whole lot of things. This makes sense to Zero and he goes back into the Lodge, and inquires after Sir Hammerlock of the cure to all of Maya's symptoms.

Zero doesn't tell the gentleman who they're for, but since he was detailed enough Sir Hammerlock was intrigued enough to provide the information. Then followed a list – torn rather unceremoniously from the pages of a dusty old book – of rare and almost certainly deadly to acquire ingredients to make a tonic that would almost certainly cure the symptoms Zero had just described.

Almost certain – since Zero was already searching for something that shouldn't exist anymore – was good enough for the Assassin, and he tucked the list in his pack and left. Zero then ran back the way he had come, down the rock arm that is, and came to the catch-a-boat system.

Before that however, Zero comes up and stops next to the bounty board. Looking at the available missions Zero sees multiple. And an opportunity to collect a possible second ingredient, but decides to take the most convenient one.

A Savage comes on the ECHO, "[Unintelligible language] – oh, wait, what am I doing? You don't speak Aegren. Sorry. I'm one of the native bandits you've been shooting at around here. Howyadoin'? Anyway there are a few rare and irritating creatures I'd like you to kill for me. No way to tell where or when they'll turn up though – just keep your fingers crossed and your eyes open."

Now keeping his eye out for monsters, in general, Zero summons a Corrosive Fan Boat from the catch-a-boat system. After hopping in the fairly bulky contraption and switching it on, the machine hums to life a giant fan could be heard slowly spinning – loudly – keeping Zero suspended above both water and land.

The faster Zero went the more the fan sped up. It reached a speed and noise level to attract attention. Zero drove right taking an almost 90 degree turn and heading straight across and over the cold unforgiving marsh waters. After sailing maybe 10 to 20 feet Zero came to the area where he had previously found the two rusted doors.

Instead of going there, this time Zero drove to the left and passed through and archway. What lay beyond was an inlet of water, and stretching beyond that was a vast ocean interrupted by giant craggy pillars and monuments of rock.

Out of the inlet waters came several Savages, two villages stationed on either side of the inlet both contained two groups of several more savages. While dodging spears and bullet fire from the two villages Zero strafed the Savages in the inlet with the Fan Boat's mounted gunfire.

After leaving a few bloody, pulpy, and dead Savages in the water of the inlet. Zero sailed left and attacked the Savage village – savagely. Zero used the mounted gunfire to strafe apart and blow holes inside the Savages houses. With the mounted launcher, Zero sent corrosive projectiles, which exploded on contact with the Savages – showering them in acid.

After decimating the one Savage village Zero – after checking his minimap – realizes that harassing these Savages was pointless at the moment. Turning back around Zero sailed along the rout he had taken and then sailed under the Hunter's Lodge. Now heading in the right direction (the minimap had taken a while to update to the new location) Zero turned left and went along the cliff side.

After traveling along some distance Zero reaches a waterfall and another cliff face. To Zero's right separated from the cliff by about 10 feet a couple Savage houses guard what looks like the only entrance through the cliff – the one Zero is trying to get through.

Zero hops out of the Fan Boat, and quietly sneaks into the Savage guard post. A steam pump stands in the middle of the post pumping power to god knows where. Zero finds it fairly easy to sneak up behind and take down the Savages with quick slices from his katana.

Thinking that nothing much must happen here for the 'security' to be so lax, Zero heads over to the entrance cutting into the cliff. Checking his ammo, Zero pulls the lever to open the gate. Instead of opening the proper way, the thing slides into the ground – flinging up dirt clots as it does so.

After opening the gate, Zero dashes along a thirty-foot narrow passageway with walls close together – and a ceiling only 20 feet off the ground. After the passage curves slightly and runs for another 10 feet Zero comes to a open space – at the bottom of a fairly wide but deep rock shaft.

Spotting a shack like structure, with an elevator ahead Zero jogs forward. Dr. Zed then comes on the ECHO explaining that Maya's condition is getting worse, and that he'll have a full report sent to Zero within the hour. Now with more haste, Zero makes it inside the elevator and presses the button.

The elevator rises up the wide round shaft of rock, and turning around once it comes to the top Zero finds another shack like structure connecting the elevator with an elevated area, Zero walks out hurriedly but stops suddenly. Looking around him, Zero is awed by the size of the structure, and at how so much of it cuts into the rock.

Due to it's mangled and worn down state, plus the fairly large hole near where he came up leading down into the belly of Aegrus – Zero couldn't figure out what it was for. Two giant floating spores came Zero's way, and after a bit of maneuvering he got out his Chinook and blasted their meaty vulnerable undersides.

After that, Zero turns away from the giant open doorway leading to the place where he needed to go. Looking out Zero saw a highway of sorts running along and curving towards the structure where Zero now stood. About a hundred feet out from the structure, it cut off and didn't stretch much closer.

Zero turned around and marched through the doorway and along the metal floor. As zero went along, he saw to his left a very old dump truck. Looking closer at its base between the wheels Zero sees a faded yet still legible DAHL printed on part of the rusted machine.

It now dawned on Zero that this giant structure was an old Dahl mining facility – and by the look of the dump truck's old and dated technology it was a really old facility. After examining the truck for a little longer, Zero turned right again and headed out. Zero comes to the edge of the metal walkway, and finds him self on a bit of a ledge.

After surveying the area, Zero jumps down and is almost mauled by a Borok the color of the grass, and the size of half the dump truck. The massive creature scuttles off and Zero realized it's the monster he's looking for. The Borok shrinks and transforms, twisting due to some violent reaction then dives under the water vanishing.

Zero realizes it wasn't the monster he was looking for, but decided to be wary all the same. Looking to his right Zero sees a pond area, surrounded by Borok nests, bodies lay in the water bobbing softly. Whatever that creature was it either killed its own kind, or did it for another reason all together.

Zero heads forward, and slightly to the left to avoid stepping through the water – despite that it would be a straight shot to where the monster he was supposed to find was hiding. As he does so however, Savages come from nowhere ahead of him, literally appearing in puffs of smoke and shouting battle curses at Zero.

Readying himself Zero swaps for the Sand Hawk prepared to face the Savages, which included four gunmen, two hunters (spear wielding bastards), 9 Savage warriors with shields, and 3 Witch Doctors – 1 with a black staff, 1 with a glowing zap-y staff, and the last with one wreathed in flame.


	3. The Swamp Component Part 2

**Chapter 3: The Swamp Component Part 2**

**Mission(s): An Acquired Taste * Side Mission**

**I Like My Monsters Rare * Side Mission**

**DLC: Sir Hammerlock's Big Game Hunt**

The fight was long, brutal, and ultimately drawn out since Zero had to doge most of their attacks because he was out in the open. The three Witch Doctors made it especially difficult because all three of them seemed to work with a kind of synergy. Once Zero realized that he had killed the group of savages at least four times over, he also realized that the black staff wielding Witch Doctor was a necromancer of sorts.

Now plowing his way through the somehow hyper functioning cadavers that once were Savages Zero made his way towards the Witch Doctors. With shotgun in his right hand and katana in his left, Zero cut off the head of all three Witch Doctors while keeping the Savages at bay with one armed but effective shotgun blasts.

Zero couldn't deny that some, if not all, of these shaman like mages had power. But as he looked at their headless corpses he had a thought. What if they Witch Doctors didn't have the power, but it was contained within their staffs?

Either way Zero couldn't get to the staffs, they had seemed to sink into the earth – perfectly content with never being used again. This peeved Zero just a little, because he detested anything her couldn't understand. He didn't understand these Savages; a few of them wore Handsome Jack masks that were carved out of wood.

Zero turned right from the massacre sight – the cadavers finally lay still but didn't disappear or sink into the ground like bodies normally did – and walked 20 feet skirting the edge of a rock ridge overlooking a den of more Borok their lairs shooting out into freezing marsh waters.

Zero then came to a fairly large house, one that seemed common on Pandora no matter where Zero ended up. Savages didn't pour out of it, and when Zero went beyond the house down into the area before the cliff – no Savages came screaming at him with axes and hurling spears. It was then Zero realized that all the Savages in the area had assaulted him near the start of this particular part of Aegrus.

Sir Hammerlock then explained about the Borok, "Now, you have two options for luring out the human-hungry borok. You can lure a Savage into the borok's lair and summon him that way. Or, … you can injure your self, and let the scent of your blood awaken the beast."

Zero walked to his right and came to the creature's lair. A Savage appeared out of nowhere, along with a few of his brethren. Zero grabbed the Savage and forcibly placed him under a platform protruding with deadly blood stained spikes. As soon as the Savage realized what Zero planned to do he looked up.

And was ultimately pierced by a single spike blood pouring out of him. A roar came from behind Zero and the Assassin whirled around. A big Borok sauntered out fat, and a corpse of a Savage dangled from his still chewing mouth. Zero marched forward, deployed a decoy and ran around to the right side of the Borok.

The creature continued to chew its meal – bones and all, relishing the blood that somehow still flowed out of the body – and gazed lazily at its next meal presenting itself. But as soon as the Borok got a good look at Zero, it screamed dropping its meal to the ground. Zero's katana then went through the top of its head and connecting jabbing through the bottom of its jaw effectively keeping it from making vocal sounds.

As Zero yanked out his Katana, he pondered at all the things he had killed. Not enough he decided right then. As Zero walked back the way he had come – since Dr. Zed had just come to him on the ECHO bringing with him a full report of Maya's worsening condition.

When Zero had finally ended the human-hungry Borok Sir Hammerlock had said, "You've had your last taste of human flesh, fiend! Wonderful. Simply wonderful. Come on back please."

Dr. Zed explained, "At first I thought she was getting better, but like all damnable diseases it only seemed that way before she started deteriorating. She didn't have the spasms anymore – thank god for that, those were so violent they would have killed her due to the number of times she almost bludgeoned herself to death – and the cough subsides. But no longer does she even cry out in pain, he lips seemed to have swollen shut through some bizarre symptom – and on top of all that she doesn't sweat. Maya just keeps getting paler and clammier, but it never seems to abate. This thing – whatever's ravaging her body – is killing Maya, but not quickly slowly, which is even worse."

When Zero made it back to the Hunter's Lodge, he realized something was in his hand. The right leg bone of a Witch Doctor, with the marrow still inside – thanks to studying the list Hammerlock had given him, Zero knew that 'Marrow of a Witch Doctor' was only the first part of what he liked to call, the Swamp Component.

Realizing that he would have to do a few more missions in and around this area to get the rest of the pieces, Zero turned in the mission to Sir Hammerlock. The gentleman congratulated him on a job well done, "Well done, well done."

When Zero made it back to the bounty board, and turned in the mission given by the savage. All he got was satisfaction that he could track down rare beasts now. The Savage named Thirstblood thanked him profusely.


	4. Collecting Arizona's Eggs

**A/N: Please be patient with any grammar errors you see, that or confusing sentences. I'm trying to keep up with the update ****schedule, the day of the upload I should read it through and make sure everything makes sense.**

**Chapter 4: Collecting Arizona's Eggs**

**Mission(s): Egg on Your Face * Side Mission (NC)**

**DLC: Sir Hammerlock's Big Game Hunt**

"Deitmar Von Heinrichzimmerschneit speaks to you. Ze documentary I am filming about you needs a scene of a warrior collecting eggs. Egg collecting is extremely popular with mein target audience. Retrieve some for me and I will narrate your descent into the yolky epicenter of the human soul."

Zero stood at the bounty board, and accepted a mission to acquire the next item on Hammerlock's list. This German man presented himself with a German accent so thick, there was no way he wasn't native – that or he was just really good at giving impressions (his name seemed to suggest otherwise).

Zero knew this was the mission to acquire the heart valves of a legendary Drifter named Arizona. Thinking that the other mission from Deitmar would go more smoothly if Zero was in on the man's good side, Zero hurried to the catch-a-boat system situated at the end of the rock arm, and summoned a dinghy to travel in.

After hopping inside the Fan Boat, Zero gunned the engine and raced to the left traveling in an arc to race past the first Savage camp Zero had encountered. Once Zero came a little ways past and to the right of the Savage camp, Zero stopped the Fan Boat got out and quietly made his way past a group of angry Drifters poking among the Savage outpost guarding the entrance through the cliff side.

Zero knew that as soon as he began snatching up Drifter eggs the Drifters wandering the marshlands would attack him without the slightest provocation. Deciding to start on the raised section of land he had previously visited the day before.

Once Zero entered the narrow place that led to the wide rock shaft, he began really looking for the eggs. The first one he found near the elevator structure at the bottom of the wide rock shaft.

Deitmar commented, "Ze Vault Hunter collects ze eggs for reasons know only to them. Bordem? Justice? Because I paid zem to do so? We can but speculate."

Zero rode the elevator to the top of the rockshaft and walked around the concrete platform looking for more eggs. Zero moved through the giant doorway and not seeing any eggs in his immediate surroundings took out his sniper rifle and began checking the Borok pond to the right coming out of the Dahl structure.

Spotting one at the edge of the water, Zero holstered his sniper rifle and brought out the Jakobs shotgun from his pack. Moving down the slope Zero came to the pond and skirted its edge to the left and passed a Borok next and a pile of rocks near the waters edge. Zero grabs the egg and quickly exits the vicinity of the pond – since the bodies of the previously slain Borok were missing and Zero didn't know if it was necromancy at work or something else.

Heading back to the old Dahl structure, Zero checked to make sure he didn't miss one. Thanks to his diligence Zero was rewarded with a third egg behind the old dumpster truck. Zero then ran in the direction coming straight out of the giant doorway. After coming to the second pond infested with Borok nests Zero moved to the right running along the ground sloping towards the freezing water.

Zero knew by instinct that he shouldn't ever touch the water, for whatever reason it seemed to be getting colder. After a few feet Zero halted his run and turned to the left finding a bridge crossing the marsh water. It was constructed out of metal sheets supported by a few metal poles on either side of the bridge sunk into the ground.

Zero lightly ran across, and made it to the other side. The ground in front of Zero sloped upwards for a long time eventually coming to a crest that he couldn't see over. To Zero's right carved out of the rock wall was a cave entrance. Out of the shadows melted some Savages, and Zero quickly took care of them with no scope headshots.

Zero then ran up the 10-foot slope to stand atop the hill. Taking out his sniper Zero looked around from his vantage point, searching for more eggs. Zero sees one near the large Savage house situated nearer to the massacre sight. The other two were down by the human-hungry Borok's lair.

Deciding to grab the two by the lair first, Zero jumps down from the hill landing on the ground below. The 4th egg Zero grabs is to the left of the Borok's lair next to some rocks. Zero turns around and walks to the right of the spike trap contraption and among a bone ribcage half buried in the ground – but he majority stick up above the ground – he finds the 5th egg.

Zero then turns to his right and runs along the ground for 10 feet then turns left slips through the barriers meant to keep the human hungry Borok from slipping through to the Savage house and devouring them. After grabbing the 6th egg, Zero makes his way through the quite grounds of the savage house and walks to the right side of the Borok's lair.

Zero finds that there's a ledge, but it drops off for 15 feet and then there's another ledge. After jumping down to the second ledge Zero peers down to the area below, inspecting the shoreline hugging the wall of the cliff running along the ocean for eggs. Not spying anything to the left Zero looks to his right and sees an egg nested among some rocks almost beyond his vision due to the cliff.

Zero jumps down to the strip of ground qualifying as a shoreline, and lands on his feet. Only to spin around at a roar, and get pinned to the ground by a Bullymong; who dies a moment later when Zero rolls its corpse off him extracting his katana from its chest.

Zero moves along the shoreline and when he reaches the 7th egg and collects it Deitmar speaks while Zero – using his Sand Hawk – defends against a wave of Bedrock Bullymongs assaulting him their nests high in the cliff wall.

Deitmar continues his director's commentary, "Eggs. Ze genesis of life. Ze beginning of creation itself. And yet, so nummy. So very, very nummy."

Once the 5 or so Monglets and 4 Bullymongs lay dead, Zero decides to head deeper into their territory and goes father forward along the shoreline. After walking for a few more minutes Zero finally comes to the end of the shoreline as it meets up with another cliff. The path then curves to the right, to the left however Zero spots a catch-a-boat system. But since bones protrude from the earth essentially block the path of a vehicle, Zero stays on foot and walks between them heading away from the ocean.

Once he moves farther inland and over a long gradual slope Zero comes to an area infested with the tougher Bullymongs and Monglets. Zero deploys a decoy out of sight of the Bullymongs, and uses his invisible stealth to snatch up the 8th and 9th eggs. Exiting quietly and disengaging his decoy silently Zero slips out of the infested area and makes his way down the slope cautiously.

The Bullymongs gathered in the previous area were very numerous, so much so that Zero deduces that they must have been guarding one of their kind that was special – or a leader/bully. Zero then makes it to the catch-a-boat system and re constructs a Fan Boat. Hopping in the vehicle Zero hovered away to the left along the shoreline.

After traveling along for a minute or so Zero comes to the inlet area, the Assassin grins devilishly (from inside his helmet) and then proceeds to decimate the remaining savage village. Near the wreckage of some boxes Zero briefly leaves the Fan Boat and snatches up the 10th egg.

Heading over to the other side of the inlet, Zero finds the 11th egg inside a rowboat floating somehow stationary in the inlet waters in front of the first village Zero had completely demolished on his first visit to this area. After that Zero gets back in the Fan Boat and sails to the right of a steam pump over a hill and away from the inlet.

After hovering perhaps 10 feet beyond the steam pump Zero turns to the left and stops in the middle of the water. Looking to his left, Zero sees another egg at the base of the rocks under the steam pump. Zero maneuvers the Fan Boat over to the rocks then jumps out snatching up the 12th egg then jumping back in checks his minimap.

Zero finds the 13th egg among a pile of rocks on the waters edge in front of the two rusted doors leading to Hammerlock's camp. The eggs were fairly large, flesh colored, and bulbous.

The German man continues his commentary, "Life is cheap on Pandora. Ze Vault Hunter collects ze eggs like so many marbles. But who can win zis marble game of life? Or are the eggs not marbles at all, but some entirely different sphere-based metaphor? Life is uncertain."

From there Zero hovers around the rock arm and comes to the first Savage camp he ever found. There stuffed inside the unlit fireplace sits the 14th egg, which Zero snatches up. From the Savage camp, Zero travels in the direction of the cliff pass perhaps 20 feet before encountering the 15th egg. Zero spies two more eggs in the distance and goes back to the camp hopping in his Fan Boat.

Zero finds the 16th egg in the middle of a patch of ground surrounded by marsh waters. The next one sits near the water's edge, to the right of the small island. Zero sails over and snatches up the 17th egg. Zero then hovers over to the catch-a-boat station to the right of the Savage outpost sitting at the edge of the water.

Running through the rock embedded in the ground, separates the outpost from the catch-a-boat station as well as the entrance to the pass cutting through the cliff. Using the sudden cloud cover so the sun isn't strong enough to penetrate this deep into Aegrus – Zero sneakily hops from frock to rock some thirty feet up the rocky stream and snatches up the 18th egg.

After snatching that one up Zero moves stealthily back towards his Fan Boat. Drifters surround it forcing Zero to summon a new one from the catch-a-boat. The sound of it digistructing startled the already agitated beasts and Zero hops in the fan Boat tearing away from them at top speed, using the Fan Boat's after burner.

A few more drifters rise from the marsh waters in front of Zero – and the Assassin is forced to alter his course sharply to the right. He ends up leaping out of the Fan Boat at the last second. The vehicle rebounds sharply off the cliff and plows through the Drifter's legs exploding enveloping them all in bright hot flames.

Zero finds that he has landed next to the 19th egg and snatches it up.

"In zis scene, I wish to capture the essence of the Vault Hunter. Who is the Vault Hunter? What do they stand for? What will happen when they finish collecting the eggs? I hope that these questions haunt the viewer to their dying day," Deitmar commentates. Zero wonders for the man's sanity, but then again he wasn't doing too well on that plane either.

After the long and very dangerous detour of climbing up the thick roots of a tree growing on top of the rock ledge, and making his way along wooden walkway, through the Hunter's Lodge (Hammerlock giving a passing greeting, emerged in his great many books), down the arm of rock and to the catch-a-boat station Zero summons a new Fan Boat.

Zero then hovers back to the Savage camp, and sails almost ninety degrees to the right circumventing a cliff and coming to the end of a rocky river emptying into the march waters. Near the end of the thin river sits half submerged in the flowing waters the 20th egg.

After snatching it up Zero pins his new Fan Boat around and hovers along until he comes to another catch-a-boat station propped up on a metal platform constructed on top of two tubes filled with air allowing the system to stay above the water. Sitting next to one of these tubes is the 21st egg.

Zero then heads straight but takes a sharp left turn, then after taking another one Zero parks his Fan Boat on top of a jutting out ledge. At the end of it grows another leafless tree, and at its base is the 22nd egg. Zero then walks along the ground back to the base of the cliff, and the ladder leading up to the area where Zero had entered Aegrus.

To the left of the ladder is a fairly wide but not too much so entrance into the cliff. Zero enters and after a short wide passage way he passes a pole with Savage masks sitting at the top. Then the path narrows and the rock walls barely admit Zero's frame through, but they're still far apart enough that Zero – due to his agility and body twisting skills – is able to ascend the small stone steps up into a hollow section with a pillar in the middle.

Up against the pillar of rock is the 23rd and final egg. Zero snatches it up and by the light of a lantern sitting at the base of the rock pillar as well sees a much smaller access point leading farther through the cliff, and most likely onward to where he needs to go next.

Suddenly Deitmar says with an ominous tone, "Oh, what is this? It appears the queen who has lain the eggs has a bone to pick with our hero."


	5. Slaying Arizona

**Chapter 5: Slaying Arizona**

**Mission(s): Egg On Your Face * Side Mission**

**DLC: Sir Hammerlock's Big Game Hunt**

Zero climbs up stone steps, passing between narrow rock walls. After climbing for a few minutes Zero emerges onto a raised wooden walkway – with a switchback wooden staircase descending to the ground below. The ground in front of Zero, after he jumps down, is eerily quiet.

Suddenly Borok emerge from their nests, and Zero takes out his shotgun. Pretty soon he's surrounded but not before deploying a decoy. Zero zips around the outside of the circled howling Borok and plant grenades under two of them.

Zero dodges out of the blast radius and the grenades explode, whittling down the Borok numbers to one remaining survivor. The Borok howls and charges Zero who brings out his katana and meets the beasts charge head on. A sickening crunch sounds and then a swish and slice. The Borok's head rolls away, severed from its body.

After eliminating the Borok nesting group, Zero moves away. Forward and to the left Zero moves across the still quiet ground, he thinks, "They must be waiting / lying in wait to ambush / their one target: me."

Zero comes to a rather odd inlet. Across the water from where Zero stands is a giant sprawling structure build out of a jut of land and rock. Savages seemed to have built it, since many of the structures had been painted over and the wood carved into almost unrecognizable states.

The inlet traveled to the right and connected with the ocean. Zero went left around the inlet and came to a Savage village. Deciding to stay back at the edge of the village, taking cover behind a building Zero threw a singularity grenade out and tossed it in the middle of the collection of about 3 Savage huts.

The grenade implodes and three Savages are torn out of their huts, the doors being blown apart by the force of the implosion. Zero grins and vows to thank Marcus for recommending the new Force singularity grenade. A deadly explosion then rips apart the Savages.

Lights come on inside the buildings of the sprawling structure, and Zero realizes that the rest of the Saves are hiding out there. Scoffing at their idiocy, Zero grabs a branch from the blazing fire walks a few feet forward and flings it to the base of the structure. The branch catches on and gets tangled in the wooden stairs leading up to the main complex of wooden habitation.

The flames work quickly and within 10 minutes the structure is consumed. During that time Zero heads left from the Savage huts, and moves into position to take out another group of Savages hiding inside more huts. Zero passes through two more sets of huts; the first of these was taken care of much in the same way as the first.

On the last a Witch Doctor with a light blue staff crackling with electricity comes out of a hut and starts yelling Aegren. Zero takes out his sniper rifle, and puts a round in the top of the Witch Doctor's mask. The mask flips and Zero manages to put an quick round into the Witch Doctor's exposed-fleshy-old-wrinkly but vulnerable face.

Zero walks to the right after killing the Witch Doctor, and comes to a metal platform hanging out over the great sinkhole. Around the edges of the very wide rock hole the ocean flows down in several waterfalls. Nearer to Zero however, the rock wall is bare.

Zero backs up a few feet, and there on the railing is a button to call an elevator. Zero presses it and waits about thirty seconds then the platform arrives. Zero steps onto it and presses the button. The platform descends and Zero waits another thirty seconds before turning around and stepping off the platform through a short metal hallway and into a cave area of sorts.

Zero steps to the right turning twice and peaks around the rock corner and spots a golden Drifter rise up out of the waters of its lair. Arizona not seeing Zero turns its back on him and begins shuffling around the rock pillar in the middle of its lair. Zero waits until it makes a full lap around the pillar before taking out his Chinook snipe rifle and aiming at Arizona.

When Arizona almost made it to the opposite side of the pillar, Zero fires and hits a bulbous diseased looking white lump on Arizona's rear. A great cry of pain comes from Arizona, and the great Drifter scurries around the rock pillar and charges Zero, but falls dead when Zero pops another weak spot on its underbelly.

Deitmar then comments gravely, "The queen falls and the eggs are collected. Zis grisly scene draws to a close as the Vault Hunter returns to me, eggs in hand, eager for payment."

Zero checks near its corpse and finds Sir Hammerlock's Elephant Gun lying admits the water, looking shiny big long and golden. Zero knew by instinct that it had the most critical striking power of any he or sniper he could think of. He grabs it and knows that besides Maya's safe return from the edge of death, that the Golden Gun would be reward enough.


	6. The Hunt Begins

**A/N: Alright first off I realize that this chapter is really short, but I thought 'why not just do the main missions and stretch 'em out?' Now this doesn't mean that I'll be abandoning side missions, I will occasionally find one or two along the ways that I can squeeze in next to a main mission. Secondly, just thanks for reading.**

**Chapter 6: The Hunt Begins**

**Mission(s): Professor Nakayama, I Presume? * Main Mission (NC)**

**DLC: Sir Hammerlock's Big Game Hunt**

"Now, let's go hunting! I've heard tell of an unusual creature out in Scylla's Grove. Head out there, find it, and do what you do best. By which I mean blast it into tiny bits, of course."

Zero hears the message from Sir Hammerlock, and exits Arizona's lair, marches through the abandoned Savage villages, and makes his way to the inlet. After that Zero climbs the slope to his right and makes it back to the Borok den near the start of this particular area. Going forward, but veering off to the left Zero hopes across a river, which ran into the inlet.

After making it across the flowing river Zero turns left and walks off a small rocky ledge near the edge dropping off into the inlet. Zero sees a few watchful Borok to his right, their nests constructed around a dead, decaying, and most likely hollow tree. Debating whether or not to leave these ones alone or kill them – Zero takes that latter choice.

Another update from Dr. Zed comes in, saying that Maya's condition has stabilized but the Starlight Disease was still stripping her apart. By tiny fragments, he says, "It seems as if once Maya's condition becomes…un-stabilized that she'll shatter like a broken mirror. Or – like the disease itself suggests – a ton of sparkly hot painful chunks."

After blasting the naturally armored heads of the nearest Borok, Zero dashes forward Zero hugs the cliff path moving to the left at a fast past. Some time later, Zero finally comes to a great hole in the rock that leads to Scylla's Grove.

Zero comes out of the dark tunnel into an area with a much lower ceiling similar to the one hovering over Aegrus – except of course being astronomically smaller but still large enough to cast a permanent shadow on the area Zero inhabited. The Assassin moves forward and turns right going forward again but stops dead in his tracks when he gets a good look at what's now in front of him.

The entire floor of the area onward is submerged in large and imaginably deep water. Zero spies a staircase to his right, and after jogging forward moves up the staircase onto a wooden platform suspended above the frigid waters. Cold frost now settled on Zero's armor, and for a moment the Assassin was afraid his armor might lock up and he couldn't move.

Just then however, Zero's trusty suit adapted to the frost and it somehow magically disappeared. Zero could bring up readings, and find out the exactness of what had happened – but the Assassin was more currently focused on re stocking his ammo and health hypos out of the vending machines on one side of the medium sized wooden platform.


	7. Finding And Fighting Thermitage

**Chapter 7: Finding And Fighting Thermitage**

**Mission(s): Professor Nakayama, I Presume? * Main Mission (NC)**

**DLC: Sir Hammerlock's Big Game Hunt**

Zero, after staking up on ammo and health hypos, spun around and marched across the wooden platform to a catch-a-boat terminal on the platform. Before activating it however, Zero looked down at his feet and closely examined the material the platform was made out of. Wood, and also metal plates interlaced to form a solid mesh. Despite how study it felt, Zero could definitely tell Savages had constructed it.

Zero summoned a corrosive Fan Boat, and using the terminal teleported himself to be seated in the driver's seat. After checking the minimap to confirm the direction in which he was headed, Zero took off gliding noisily but efficiently over the cold putrid water of Aegrus.

Zero went forward and sailed around to the left of a half plateau half pillar of rock jutting out of the middle of the water. After adjusting back to the right going along his original trajectory, Zero piloted the Fan Boat forward and parked it on some land.

Sir Hammerlock: Ah, there it is – a scaylion. Well armored and incredibly deadly. Watch its tail, Vault Hunter.

Zero hopped out of the Fan Boat and headed left down to a cave entrance. Two rather large trees had grown their roots over the bottom of the entrance. Even if there weren't enough room to squeeze through (which there was) Zero wouldn't have had any trouble climbing over the thick roots.

Zero slowly descended down into the scaylion lair and was instantly wary when a shadow moved up ahead. Past some fairly large mushroom heads growing in the wall, a scaylion appeared. It's scaly armored like body coiling, as it reared its tail. Zero by the glint of the light filtering from somewhere up ahead; saw the light thrown off the shiny barb affixed to the end of the scaylion's tail.

After slaying his first scaylion many more came out of the shadows of the tunnel ahead. As Zero moved forward he then became aware of a stream running along side his path and down the tunnel to his left. Looking back behind him to his left, Zero saw a waterfall descending from a hole in the rock ceiling above.

After moving forward perhaps 20 or 30 so more feet, Zero came to a pool of water. The small narrow river flowed into it collecting. Eventually – Zero guessed – it had filled up enough to spill off somewhere. To Zero's right he could see that the ground had been hollowed out naturally and a few dozen perhaps more pairs of thick roots descended from the ground above, apparently groping for the water below.

Zero turned left, and avoiding the water hopped over the stream and climbed up a few rock ledges. Once over them Zero descended and traveled along the slightly dead grassy slope to a weird little pond. It was still the water of Aegrus, but it looked greener and with a little more vegetation than most pools.

Suddenly a huge scaylion identified as Thermitage by Zero's ECHO, dropped down from it's upside down perch on the ceiling. It flipped around and squashed several scaylion workers under its bulky weight.

Wondering if electricity did any wonders against the scaylion's natural armor, Zero pulled out his Sand Hawk and sent some rounds into the creatures face. Apparently electricity worked wonders on scaylion creatures. Because as soon as the 4-inch stream of electrified Sand Hawk projectiles buried itself inside the creatures brain … it was dead, in the pool convulsing still.

Sir Hammerlock then congratulates Zero on the kill, "Jolly, jolly good show!"

Professor Nakayama comes on the ECHO, "Wait – you guys are just going to do your hunting thing? Aren't you even curious as to why I can order these Savages around?"

Sir Hammerlock responds with, "We shall deal with you in good time, sir. I promise my companion a pleasurable weekend of hunting, and a gentleman always keeps his word."

"What?! Come ON! Will you guys fight me already? Please?" Professor Nakayama begs.

Sir Hammerlock then says exasperated, "[Sigh] …Vault Hunter, it appears we shan't get a moments peace as long as this Nakayama fellow is hassling us to go fight him. I've heard some bizarre radio chatter coming from the other side of Scylla's Grove – I'm afraid you'll have to head there, stop whatever horrible Professor Nakayama has conceived and save the world. Again."

The Professor's response is, "Uh, great! Yeah! Good! That's what I wanted! You, uh – you won't regret it!"


	8. Climbing The Bloody Savage Tower

**A/N: I formally apologize to all of you for not uploading the last chapter on Monday, like I promised. I was busy being a sound designer for a few one-act plays. Very busy stuff, and I got delayed about a day behind my normal update schedule. It might happen again this week, since that's when the shows are running and I need to attend them. I'll try my best to upload on Wednesday (which is hopefully when I upload this chapter) and Friday. Thanks for your patience, appreciate it.**

**Chapter 8: Climbing The Bloody Savage Village Tower**

**Mission(s): Professor Nakayama I Presume? * Main Mission (NC)**

**DLC: Sir Hammerlock's Big Game Hunt**

After collecting a pint of Thermitage poison – stored in a tiny vile – Zero moves back the way he had come. The Assassin stashed the scaylion poison next to the pickled freeze sealed back of drifter heartstrings in his "Cure" bag. It would eventually contain all the ingredients for a cure that would hopefully rid Maya of the dreadful Starlight Disease.

Zero moved back the way he had came, and found him self staring at the smoldering and melting wreckage of his once usable Fan Boat. Furious Zero disguised himself to almost invisibility, and waited patiently for the perpetrations to return to the wreckage.

When they did, arriving in a single fan boat loaded with more than a few Savages, the Assassin slaughtered them all and added their mangled bodies to the now roaring inferno of the combusted Fan Boat. Zero then drove away in his shiny new, stolen, Fan Boat.

He makes his way back to the wooden platform, and as Zero docs the Fan Boat Sir Hammerlock speaks.

Sir Hammerlock then informs Zero, "I'm picking up radio chatter – it sounds like Nakayama's savages are engaged in some sort of ritual worship. Lots of chanting, and the like; be careful."

Zero made his way across the wooden/metal platform and after walking past the vending machines turned left and headed up a set of stairs.

"Can I just say – super-pumped we're archenemies now. You and Jack were nemeses, now that we're fighting it's like I – I'm as cool as Handsome Jack! Ohhh … it's like a dream," Nakayama says, almost lazily.

While listening to Nakayama's chatter Zero had walked along a metal walkway with metal railing running along the left side. After reaching a bend Zero turned right walked forward then turned right again. He carefully crouch walked up the next set of steps watching for Savages.

After encountering two Savages, who greeted Zero as he came up the staircase, a few more came out from further up the maze like structure. Their shouts descended and passing between two buildings supporting a wire and metal bar mesh above, Zero walked calmly up a set of stairs.

As soon as Zero reached the top, several bare handed Savages tried to jump Zero. Using his honed skills with his ever-faithful katana, Zero made mince meat of the Savages. Their blood now pooled, cooling rapidly on the metal platform.

Zero then turned left and marched himself across the metal platform and onto the op of a rocky pillar.

Professor Nakayama then explained, "After you killed Jack, I filled my ship, the H.S.S Terminus, with Eridium and research equipment, determined to carry on his will. Until I crashed here, anyway. And, uh, locked myself out of my own ship. But I will prevail. I will clone Handsome Jack, and he will crush the life out of you."

By the time Nakayama had finished talking, Zero was in the middle of fighting a fairly large group of Savages. At the end of the fight, Zero had slain almost two-dozen Savages; among them were 4 Badass Savages, 3 Witch Doctors, 5 Savage Hunters, and 10 Savage Warriors.


	9. That Bastard Claptrap

**A/N: Sorry I couldn't make this chapter longer. I'm currently sick, and on top of that I'm under a lot of pressure being the sound designer of my high school's one act play festival. On a side note, after I graduate high school it's very unlikely I'll be putting up any more Borderlands 2 stories. Mainly because of impending fall semester of college.**

**Chapter 9: That Bastard Claptrap**

**Mission(s): Professor Nakayama I presume? * Main Mission**

**DLC: Sir Hammerlock's Big Game Hunt**

Zero, after taking out most of the Savages on the lower most part of the tower, begins his trek along the singular wooden walkway. After snaking around the rock for a bit Sir Hammerlock comes on the ECHO.

"What the devil is that chanting all about? Steady on, Vault Hunter – if these savages are worshipping something, that means two things: it'll be Hyperion and it'll be deadly."

After a few more feet of the wooden walkway Zero marches across some metal sheets to an elevator. Zero steps inside the contraption and pulls the lever attached to the floor of the elevator.

Sir Hammerlock says, "You made it – but what the devil are they worshipping? A deadly creature? An alien murder bot?"

After reaching the top, Zero walks out of the elevator contraption and across a metal platform. Then he enters the top of the plateau, and the condition of the two trees present amongst the sparse grass aren't in any better shape then the trees down below nearer to the water.

Zero walks forward and instead of heading to the center of the town built on top of the plateau, the Assassin moves among the houses to the left. Out on a wooden platform extending out over the air is a fast travel station. After making sure he had the coordinates stored in case of an emergency, Zero made his way to the center of town.

Five shirtless Savages were chanting, bowing, and rolling around in front of a small wooden shack adorned with long spikes and skulls.

A high pitched to happy voice calls out, "Hellooooo, traveler!"

Claptrap rolls out of the hut as he says this, hopping up and down once.

Sir Hammerlock groans, "Oh bloody HELL."

Claptrap shouts, "MINION! Who told you I was vacationing out here? I stowed myself on the H.S.S. Terminus to get away from danger! Look, I know I'm your best friend, but sometimes I need to sit back, relax, and get worshipped by a bunch of guys who look kind of like that douche bag you killed."

A Savage asks, "WHAT YOU SAY!?"

Sir Hammerlock: Claptrap, what are you doing? Shut up!

Claptrap asks, "What? I'm just saying that if you could measure a human being in douchalocities, Handsome Jack would be off the scale!"

A Savage yells, "HE SAID BAD THING! GET HIM!"

Claptrap pleads, "WAAH! HELP!"

Zero takes out the golden gun and aiming at the worshiping savages, blows their heads off one by one. Two of the Savages run towards Zero, and he gets them both with one head shot.

Claptrap yells in celebration, "Whew! You saved me! YOU HEAR THAT, STUPID JACK-LOVERS?"

The Savage says directing the other Savages, "The blasphemer's screme-screams are coming from over there!"

"Oh, heh. Clearly you did hear that. Woops."

What then followed was another massacre, and as Zero was blowing apart Savages left and right – due to the awesome power of his new favorite gun – he thought about Maya. Mainly what she had looked like the last time he had seen her, pale, sickly, bedridden with internal bleeding and seizures. That didn't dampen Zero's feelings for her at all, in fact it made his feelings stronger.

"Thanks for killing those dudes who were worshipping me! I was so tired of their endless affection and respect. So, you wanna stop this professor guys from cloning Handsome Jack huh? I know just what to do, let's chat," Claptrap commands.

Zero turned in the mission. And after that he checks the houses for anything useful.  
Claptrap comments, "Those savages briefly distracted me from the crushing loneliness of my existence."

**A/N: Oh and as for the lack of mustaches ... I apologize.**


	10. Skag Den Slaughter

**A/N: Alright I know I said no more side missions unless I found a reason, well here's the reason. Another item on Hammerlock's list of cures for Maya will be found soon, but not after Zero does some 'research'. Chapter 10: Skag Den Slaughter**

**Mission(s): Urine, You're Out * Side Mission**

**DLC: Sir Hammerlock's Big Game Hunt**

Zero needed to acquire another piece of the cure on Hammerlock's list, so in light of stumbling on a new area with quite a lot of Savage camps scattered about Zero decided to get on with it. The Assassin – after finding a place where (if Maya were on the adventure with him) they would have slept the night – asked Claptrap for any missions that would lead him to any of the items on the list.

Claptrap explained the mission, "Some bedwetting skag has been marking his territory all around my grove. I don't actually have a sense of smell, but I still have enough self-respect to resent people who pee all over my stuff! I need you to go wash the wee-wee away, but you can only do it at night. The skag's tinkle juice is invisible during the day."

After making sense of this, Zero jumps off the plateau and lands on the wooden platform near the catch-a-ride station. After summoning a Fan Boat he piloted it on a course through the swamp that took about 30 minutes to get through. After Zero arrived, and slowed down to avoid being spotted or heard by a group of Savages up ahead, he checks his minimap.

Zero found no shorter route from where he had started to here, after stashing the Fan Boat in a safe place Zero continued forward. At first it was easy going, Zero's suite keeping him safe from the frigid waters and his golden gun capping off any Savages stupid enough to be patrolling the waters without a Fan Boat.

Unluckily for Zero, as he neared his objective – which could only be reached on foot apparently – he got attacked by two Fan Boats controlled by Savages, unlucky for the Savages Zero had a Norefleet. And he used it, the Maliwan rocket launcher worked like a charm, despite it being a flame element and the abnormally low temperature present this deep into Aegrus.

After taking out the Fan Boats Zero moved forward again and this time instead of encountering more Fan Boats filled with Savages around the next bend, Zero found a hole. A metal tunnel, carved deep into the rock that ended with an exit where Zero stood. Mischievously Zero placed an old but still usable stick of dynamite on the roof of the metal tunnel. He tapped it there with a strip of very old but still widely used Gaff tape.

Taking no more time than absolutely necessary Zero walked forward into the middle of two Savage houses, built as if to sentinel the entrance to a cave system. Zero knew by instinct that the Savages inside were Witch Doctors, and those slimy old bastards only came out at daytime.

So being the clever Assassin that he was, Zero decided to torch the houses. And after blowing the metal tunnel to cave in (the dynamite was so old, it's power was almost incomprehensible) Zero set fire to the houses, and then without looking back walked across some dry land that the houses were built on and into some more water inside the cave/tunnel.

Zero made it inside, and after running/slogging fast through the water for about 100 feet he finally came to an intersection. Zero then turned right and found that only about 10 more feet away was the area he was looking for. Zero moved forward and passed between two more tree roots almost blocking his path.

Zero then walked up a slope and came to a relatively closed off area, with a pillar and a rocky platform on top of it in the middle of the chamber surrounded by water near the bottom. The whole place was filled with skag dens, and Zero took out his shotgun because he knew this would be a close fight.

Amid the frantic dodging of skags claws, and swamp corrosive skag spit Zero found the first patch of urine on a radio.

Claptrap comments, "It just came right off, huh? Great!"

The second patch of urine Zero found on a cart high above on top of a bunch of rock ledges stacked on top of each other.

"Oh crap, you know what I just realized? The smell of the urine was keeping a bunch of the other creatures away. Watch out, minion – things just might get hairy," Claptrap warned.

And indeed things did get hairy, not only did Zero have to contend with a great outpouring of regular skags from … well nowhere, but also a bunch of corrosive swamp skags were popping out of dens as well. Zero found the next one sitting on another random object on top of the rock pillar. Zero simply found a ledge that lead up to the height of the top of the pillar, than jumped across.

Claptrap says encouragingly, "Just a few more pee stains! Just a reminder, don't eat anything until you've washed your hands. And then amputated them. And then replaced them with sterilized robot hands!"

After nearly an hour of moonlight Zero finally slaughtered nearly 200 skags. Around the 150th Zero – amazingly – ran out of shotgun ammo and had to resort to splitting them down the middle with his katana. Zero then found the last stain and wiped it away like all the others.

"Alright, you're all done! Come on back, you glorified gun-toting janitor, you!" Claptrap says in celebration. After that's all said and done, Zero trudges back still under the moonlight to his stashed Fan Boat.

Once Zero makes it back, and marches all the way up to the top of the Savage village he asks Claptrap, "I know you're trying / to help me I need to know / why did I do that?"

Claptrap can't answer, because at the moment he's currently in hibernation mode, that or he was just avoiding Zero.


	11. The Catalyst Relic

**Chapter 11: The Catalyst Relic**

**Mission(s): The Rakk Dahlia Murder * Side Mission**

**DLC: Sir Hammerlock's Big Game Hunt**

"Hey – were you and Hammerlock bonding without me? It's 'cause he sends you off to kill stuff isn't it? Well screw that noise – I can do that! I saw a Rakk out here that you can only summon with something loud and flashy, like gunpowder – why don't you go out and find some?"

The only two reasons Zero accepted the mission were 1) he needed time to think while doing something 2) the reward for the mission was a relic, that according to Hammerlock's List would act as a catalyst for all the other ingredients on the List.

Zero hopped down off the plateau and landed somewhere in the village below circling around it. After a few minutes Zero ran to where the catch-a-boat station was, and he summoned a Fan Boat. After hopping in it Zero hovered off turning right and zooming away.

Zero drove his Fan Boat and this time instead of hopping out and dealing with the Savage Fan Boats by hand, the Assassin stayed in his and took out the enemy craft with corrosive shots. After weaving through the rock walls Zero eventually came to an area.

Hovering to the right, Zero parked the Fan Boat and had it – still hovering – above the water. Zero then jumped out and heading right where he parked his Fan Boat along a shaded path. Overhangs of rock almost made a tunnel but not quite.

After walking for 45 feet, keeping quiet as to not attract too much attention, Zero finally came to a place called Low Gut Rut. Zero walked out on a metal-sheeted bridge that stretched forward 20 feet then turned 90 degrees to the left. The bridge met up with a Savage house constructed up above the pool of water that inhabited and lay over the floor of the rut.

Staying quiet in order to not awake the Savages inside the house, Zero snuck around it. Near the opposite side of the house Zero found a fireworks rocket inside of a metal bin. He picked it up.

Claptrap then commented, "Good, you found the gunpowder – now just put it into a cannon I've set up, and you can summon the Rakk and kill it for me, instead of killing it for Hammerlock."

Zero, again to not attract attention, made his way back to his Fan Boat. A Savage was so engrossed in checking the vehicle out that he didn't notice someone was getting in it – until it ran him over and the fan blade chewed him to bits.

Zero sped off and made his way to a spot perhaps 100 feet from the base of the Savage village where Claptrap was located. Near and around the spire of rock circled Rakk, this clued Zero in on what monster he was going to kill.

The Assassin made his way up the rock and came to a metal sheet bridge – poorly constructed and with a lot less metal sheets than those Zero had encountered before. Still Zero made it across the bridge without incident. He then came after walking across a short ledge to a wooden bridge. Twenty feet it stretched out and eventually met up with a freestanding pillar of rock that had a spire extending sideways out to the right from where Zero was facing it.

Zero walked across the wooden bridge and turned right walking on the top of the relatively flat spire. After about another 20 feet Zero came to a short raised long wooden platform, at the end of it Zero found the cannon Claptrap had set up.

"Okay, you're at the cannon. Now, just load in the gunpowder, fire it off, and summon the RAAAKKKK!" Claptrap instructed.

Zero loaded the 'gunpowder' and set it off. It flew up, sparked a few times then blew up with a loud noise.

Claptrap: Here comes Rakkanoth – good luck! Uh, hunting things…hoooo?

Taking careful aim Zero used his golden gun to lodge a few bullets in the green rather large Rakk's skull. After it dipped and flew down Zero went invisible. Rakkanoth swerved to avoid the platform of rock and got an entire wing cut off due to a vicious swipe from Zero's katana.

Claptrap said congratulating, "Good job minion! Come on back! Also I've decided that it's more important to be true to myself than to be envious of Sir Hammerlock."

Sir Hammerlock responded to Claptrap's words, "A wise decision, Claptrap. True strength comes from within."

"[Sobbing] Oh god that was so classy teach me how to be like you-hoo-hoo!" Claptrap said.

As Zero made his way back over to and up the Savage village he contemplated what Sir Hammerlock had said. True strength came from within. If that was true, Zero thought, then why is my greatest assets my suit and katana?

Eventually zero made it back to Claptrap and turned in the mission, accepting the catalyst relic from the small yellow Hyperion robot.

Claptrap responded with, "Stealing other people's catchphrases, hoooo!


	12. Monster and DNA Hunting

**Chapter 12: Monster and DNA Hunting**

**Mission(s): Follow The Glow * Side Mission (NC)**

**A-Hunting We Will Go * Main Mission (NC)**

"Hey, I found that peeing skag that made the trouble for ya. He's somewhere out here in the grove. You should find him, and take him down. Oh also – before you ganked them, the savages let me in on the professor's plan. He's got a temporary lab set up in Ardorton Station that he's using to create Eridium engineered Jack clones! You gotta destroy the samples of Jack's DNA and shut down that lab!"

Zero stood at the catch-a-boat station, and after receiving Claptrap's message summoned and teleported into a Fan Boat. Zero then realizing that the minimap objective wasn't pointing to the spot to the left, hovered off to the right.

Turning almost 180 degrees, Zero zoomed under a bridge that connected a lower 'rock' to the bigger 'rock'. After hovering forward for perhaps 30 more feet, Zero came to a halt, parked his Fan Boat to hover above the water, and jumped out to the right landing on 'dry' land.

As Zero moved forward past the vehicle barrier a Savage came running towards him screaming in fright. Zero extended his hand and stepped so his shoulder was in line with the Savage's throat. The poor bastard ran straight into Zero's clenched fist, and due to the fact that he tried ducking Zero's fist hit the guys face instead of his throat.

A great crunching sound like a watermelon sounded, and after the Savage stopped screaming Zero crouched down and examined his stuff. Not finding anything Zero continued onwards, only to come up short when he found a whole group of Savages beating the shit out of each other.

Following a power line Zero moved down the slope and came to the group of Savages; Zero calmly went through the mob and cut off their heads – one by one with his katana. After all the Savages had been quieted – a group of men beating the shit out of each other makes a lot of noise – Zero kept following the power line on his right. The slope curved right and descended for another 100 feet gradually.

The tunnel ahead narrowed and Zero could hear the hollow echo of him running over compacted dirt and stone. Eventually Zero came to the end of the tunnel and the ground tunnel opened up to a pit. Zero walked across the bottom of the pit, and turned right at 90 degrees from the middle of the floor.

Zero then – after taking out his golden gun – marched forward down the long dark wide tunnel. The area so far – besides the Savages – had been devoid of much life. Zero reached the end of the tunnel and turned right through the small tunnel offshoot into Ardorton station.

Claptrap says on tracking the skag, "I think you'll have to track him using more of those glowing urine spots. Good luck!"


	13. Death Of Dribbles

**A/N: Apologies for such a short chapter last time. I'll try and make them longer; since it seems dragging this out too long just seems lazy. I'll try and finish part 3 in the next few chapters.**

**Chapter 13: Death Of Dribbles**

**Mission(s): Follow The Glow * Side Mission**

**A-Hunting We Will Go * Main Mission (NC)**

In the distance a gigantic pipe came up from the ocean, traveled up and at a 90 degree bend traveled over the top of most of Ardorton Station. It ended after taking another 90-degree turn downwards into a building. The collection of buildings labs and many other such things built into the main hub of Ardorton station – it didn't help that the white color still looked fresh, the whole place looked like a half insane asylum and a mad scientists factory.

Zero moved forward along the grassy slope and veering off to the left came to a boxy structure containing an Ammo and Health vending machines.

Claptrap comes on the ECHO, "Great you've made it to Nakayama's lab! Now you've got to find the samples of Handsome Jack's DNA and destroy 'em!"

As Claptrap spoke Zero stockpiled weapons, and after giving him self four hypo shots Zero immediately felt better. The fatigue vanished and now Zero's suit could focus on other things than keeping him awake. After that Zero ran down to the right and eventually curved down to the left on a short but steep sloping trail downwards.

When Zero came to the bottom of the trail he entered a wide-open flat area. Most of it had sparse grass growing on top of the soil but here and there Zero could clearly see borok trails. Looking around some more Zero saw to his right a few borok nests, as soon as he stepped farther into the area multiple borok shot out of their dens and from atop the cliffs hidden from view giant floating spores descended.

With Zero's suit at full power he was able to lay down a decoy that attracted all the borok on the ground – but exploded in an almost fiery ball of electricity that vaporized the creatures instantly. Taking care of the spores was tricky, they kept lobbing balls of pure corrosion and one even had slag another had electricity.

The spores took nearly twice as long to kill than the borok but thanks to some mad skills with the golden gun Zero managed to hit their crit spots. After taking care of the monsters outside the lab Zero moved inside the entrance set into the far right side of the structure connected to the wild grassland.

Inside zero saw several large mushrooms blue and glowing strangely and growing in the dark shady corners of the cavernous room of metal. Near the ground the metal platting had grown rusty and sunk into the ground. Dirt patches had grown into a second floor. Savages had made their homes at random intervals in the room Zero had entered, and as soon as the Assassin did enter a witch doctor spotted him.

Taking cover behind a smaller but denser collection of glowing mushrooms Zero blew a hole in the witch doctor's chest. Now missing a heart the old Savage dropped dead and off to Zero's left more Savages howled in anger. After a violent hot temper fueled but brief fight Zero eliminated the Savages. One that had been quite came at Zero the moment he vaulted cover and walked to the left of where he had hidden.

In a flash Zero took out his katana and with one fell swoop cleaved the Savage in half down the middle. After making sure none were hiding in the immediate shadows Zero walked forwards. He passed to his left an almost full grown tree sprouting out of a hole in the concrete and metal rebar floor – a chunk was missing and below it water and soil lay mixed in a murky pool.

Moving forward 10 feet Zero passed to his right a long singular but bulbous looking blue glowing mushroom. Zero checked the side of the wall next to the exit leading outside. There was another pee stain unmistakably made by the skag Zero was hunting. Taking caution Zero moved forward prepared for anything, what he found was a whole collection of multiple skag dens situated in a cove without a roof area hemmed in by walls of rock on three sides – except the one where Zero came from.

Claptrap says excitedly, "There he is! While you fight him I'll come up with a HILARIOUS urine based pun that I'll say once he's dead."

Zero moved around a while taking careful aim with his shotgun and slowly but surely whittled down the skag outpouring. Once a badass corrosive skag joined a massive and quick-footed Dribbles … well zero just had step back to the metal entrance and let looks a Norefleet round to set the entire area ablaze.

"I … couldn't come up with a hilarious, urine-based pun. Still, at least he's dead. Go ahead and get back here," Claptrap says.


	14. Destroying Jack's DNA Part 1

**A/N: The next 3 chapters or so will be much shorter, just thought I'd give you a heads us. I promise to make the last chapter much, much longer.**

**Chapter 14: Destroying Jack's DNA Part 1**

**Mission(s): A-Hunting We Will Go (NC)**

**DLC: Sir Hammerlock's Big Game Hunt**

After Claptrap spoke Zero turned away from the flames and walked away. He exited the burning skag den area and after reentering the lab plus passing a glowing mushroom Zero turned left. He went up a wide metal staircase and after coming to the top Zero turned right and walked along the metal ground. A 'patch' of grass lay stretched out from where a smaller glowing ghostly blue mushroom was growing.

After passing the small growing mushroom Zero walked up another short wide metal staircase to a relatively small metal platform. Zero turned left and after reaching the end of the platform turned left again walking up longer wide metal staircase.

Once he reached the top Zero moved along a metal platform that worked its way around a pipe extending into the ceiling. At the end of the platform Zero came to an open doorway and steeping through Zero came to a room with four corners constructed (like the rest of the station) entirely out of metal.

In front of Zero set in the middle of the wall was another open doorway, and to the right of it growing out of another moss/grass 'patch' was another weird alien looking glowing blue mushroom. Zero walked across the room through the doorway and came out to a courtyard like area. A stretch of ground went from left to right evolving into pure grass hemmed in by 30 foot rock walls to the left and to the right it cut a path through the base of the station providing much of the ground.

Zero walked to the left and after going for perhaps 100 feet came to a very large group of very large scaylions. 3 scaylion Broodmothers, and 12 scaylion Berserkers; the sight of the pack of big vicious armored brutes sent Zero into clutch mode. Using his deception primarily in three different spots surrounding the group Zero flitted around them invisible flinging 2 kunai into each scaylion every time he was forced to change his decoy to a different position. Eventually the acid combined with the slag from the 15 kunai sticking out of each gargantuan scaylion took each beast down one by one; each time one died it let out a final screeching roar of pain.

Professor Nakayama spoke, "Ah yes, that's one of my secret DNA samples; the life force of my INCREDIBLE secret plans that you will never, ever uncover."

Sir Hammerlock informed the professor, "Claptrap already told us you're planning to clone Handsome Jack."

"I … sonofabitch."

After the fight and the conversation between Sir Hammerlock and Professor Nakayama, Zero found a safe in the middle of the ring of scaylions. It was then that Zero realized they had been protecting what was inside. On the smaller top shelf inside the safe was a metal tube shaped like a section of a double helix DNA strand; at each end a metal object, flat when it connected to the double helix but away from it the metal object was rounded off, capped the DNA object off.

Zero smashed the middle of the DNA object with the butt of his katana, and as he closed the door of the safe he saw scrawled on the inside of the door, "dahliscious".

Claptrap: That's one sample destroyed! I can practically smell the dying handsomeness from here!

Nakayama said over the ECHO, "Uhhh … who opened one of my DNA safes? … Hello? Anybody?"


	15. Destroying Jack's DNA Part 2

**A/N: Here you go dear readers, a longer chapter. The next one, chapter 16, will cover the fight with Woodspike and the end of the mission.**

**Chapter 15 Destroying Jack's DNA Part 2**

**Mission(s): A-Hunting We Will Go (NC)**

**DLC: Sir Hammerlock's Big Game Hunt**

Ignoring Nakayama Zero made his way back along the way he had come. Zero marched pass the four walled room he had been in previously and headed onwards. Deciding to stay on the ground Zero walked forward curving to the right and making his way between two metal walls.

Zero walked up a few metal steps leading to a raised metal platform that was about 10 feet long. To Zero's left a closed door sat tempting, but since the minimap didn't show one of the guessed locations for Jack's DNA the Assassin ignored it.

Moving forward Zero descended another few metal steps and came to a grassy area that stretched to the right for 30 feet but all of it was hemmed in by the low metal rock like walls. Heading out onto the grassy area Zero walked along a bare spot of dirt, and he turned left walking up a wide metal staircase.

After coming to the top of the staircase zero turned and moved to the right along the metal granite looking whitish metal floor. After passing a group of boxes with a red cloth draped on top of them Zero came to another staircase this time set into the structure of the station itself. After climbing it Zero came to a place where the station ended and a Savage village began and ran until it came up against the cliff wall.

Ahead of Zero was a group of buildings that most likely contained Savages, so the Assassin prepared himself for the worst. And when Zero made it to the edge of the village Savages popped out and strolled along acting all nonchalant. Zero almost laughed at them but instead he put a sniper round into the nearest Savage Warrior's head.

The melon sized extremity exploded and showered the surrounding Savages in blood. Something managed to make it into the roaring bonfire centered it what was logically the center of town. The other savages realized what had happened and turned toward Zero, in an instant one of them dropped.

Zero had to reload however so he went invisible and flung two kunai to strike into the skulls of the two remaining Savages – one of them being a witch doctor. The Savage exploded but the witch doctor somehow survived. Zero could see his kunai sticking out of the side of the witch doctor's head.

Bones popped out of the ground and dirt surrounded them like flesh. The figures moved like zombies but as soon as one of them stepped on a Savages chest it transformed into that Savage. Zero's eyes blinked (which almost never happened) and he shot the thing in the chest with his Jakobs shotgun.

The thing exploded into dirt and Zero's second shot took out the kunai-ed witch doctor. The rest of the unformed dirt skeleton's collapsed and their bones now sat above ground yellow from no exposure to the sun.

Zero moved forward and in the room the witch doctor was guarding there sat the next DNA safe. Zero cracked it open and destroyed the next DNA sample.

Nakayama says hurriedly but slowed down when he realized Zero had already destroyed the DNA, "Waitwaitwait – have you considered NOT ruining my plan to clone Handsome Jack? Just think of all the upsides! Firstly, you'd, uh … yeah, yeah I got nothin'."

As Nakayama talked and tried (and failed) to persuade Zero to not stop his plan to clone Handsome Jack, Zero – careful enough to avoid all the blood and bones – made his way back to the sort of intersection where he had first arrived in this particular area.

Across from the four-walled room Zero – and on the opposite side of the ground strip – found a built in staircase leading up to the next level. Zero ascended it and turning right continued onwards. After walking across more land – mainly dirt – Zero came to another, much wider, built in staircase leading upwards.

As Zero came to the top of the staircase he passed between two rusted doors. The area – informed to Zero by his ECHO – was called 'Skin-Chop Chop-Shop'. This tipped Zero off that there would be Savages, and there was. After perhaps 20 minutes Zero finally laid to rest the last Witch Doctor that had somehow survived Zero's never before done Kunai Frenzy.

After killing the Savages at one end of the room Zero turned right and sprinted the length of about 150 feet across the expansive floor. Dodging around some glowing mushrooms Zero made it to a metal wall but looking to his right Zero spotted another metal staircase leading up the side of the metal wall and connecting with a platform.

After reaching the metal platform Zero walked onto more metal ground and turned right. Zero walked forward and at the wall was a red loot chest and to the right of that was the last DNA safe.

Zero cracked open the loot chest first and found a Gunstock Iron Jakobs pistol. Holding the gun lovingly to his chest for 5 seconds Zero holstered the gun to his hip – suit had many surprises – and cracked open the last DNA safe and destroying (hopefully) the last sample of Jack's DNA.

"Great – the DNA samples have been destroyed! Now you've just gotta shut down the lab's power grid by flipping a tiny little switch. It won't be hard – so long as you didn't loose any FINGERS during today's festivities, you'll be well equipped for the task at HAND! Fine, whatever … last time I try to make a flip the switch objective entertaining," Claptrap said annoyed near the end of his little talk.


	16. Woodspike

**A/N: Really quick, update; I won't be uploading immediately on Wednesday because I want to lump the last mission all together into one chapter. It will be long and at a max around 5,000 words.**

**Chapter 16: Woodspike**

**Mission(s): A-Hunting We Will Go * Main Mission**

**DLC: Sir Hammerlock's Big Game Hunt**

After Claptrap finished speaking Zero jumped down from the ledge and onto the floor below. Once landed Zero rushed across the metal floor and once past the middle of the room her turned right going up a flight of metal stairs. After ascending the first set of stairs Zero turned to his right once on the metal ledge and hurried forward up another but smaller set of metal stairs.

Once ascended Zero turned to his left and exited the confining walls of the compound into a wide-open area. Much of the ground was either covered in grass, partially decaying metal slabs sunk into the ground acting as a metal floor or a highway running through the middle of the area.

When Zero moved forward and jumped off the metal ledge and onto the grass her realized that most of the ground in front of him was just grass, but there was a highway running through the middle of the entire area from on corner to the next – curving in slightly from the right and heading straight to Zero's left.

Sprinting forward Zero saw a bunch of Savage corpses along with a few scaylion bodies lying around on and beside the highway. Zero snagged an extremely high capacity Turtle shield. Dr. Zed had requested one of them with a specific threshold, and now Zero had acquired it – hopefully its purpose would be to somehow help Maya with the healing process.

Zero altered his course to go left along the strip of highway; coming to the end of it Zero was deposited in front of the entrance to the lab. But before Zero could get to the lab, he had to go through a checkpoint filled with Savages. The Assassin's shotgun wasn't enough and at times Zero was forced to use his Katana but eventually Zero came out on the other side of the checkpoint unharmed – and in his wake a bunch of dead Savages.

Zero now stood on the apex of two built in staircases, one coming up from the checkpoint the other descending down into the main lab. Zero descended the staircase in front of him and entered a semi circular area dominated by two rotund pillars and a massive electricity generator. The generator stood off to the right protected by an electric filed the pillars supported a massive structure above the lab.

Zero walked to the middle of the wall fitted around the base of the electric field protecting the electric generator. There sitting against the wall was a lonely switch, Zero pulled it successfully and the electricity field along with the engine shut down.

"I just lost all the power to my experiments! That's it, Vault Hunter – it's time to face my WRATH! Woodspike – KILL!" Professor Nakayama said with vengeance.

Behind Zero the sound of a grate opened up and a monstrously deformed four-legged Jack faced Borok with a great big metal Hyperion turret affixed to its back. In desperation Zero moved around the pillars trying to avoid Woodspike and its Hyperion turret.

Sir Hammerlock shouted out a hint, "The metal bits – blow off the metal bits."

"Seriously, can you just stop – I put a lot of work into this plan and making Jack creatures AND NOW YOU'RE RUINING IT! … Please don't kill me," Professor Nakayama said weakly.

Taking careful aim Zero used the Sandhawk to separate the Hyperion turret from Woodspike's back. Zero then calmly raise his golden gun and put a heavy round straight into the creature's face. What happened next surprised Zero, because he didn't expect Woodspike to instantly fall over dead.

Professor Nakayama said dishearteningly, "Oh my god you killed him so easily – Ohhhhkay. That's bad. Wow that's disheartening. Crap."

Sir Hammerlock congratulated, "Exceedingly well done Vault Hunter! Come back to me and we'll see about taking down Nakayama himself."

Professor Nakayama began nervously, "Okay, I'm honestly scared out of my mind right now, but you still haven't totally stopped me – I've got a backup lab on my ship, complete with one last sample of Jack's DNA and the most dangerous genetic monstrosity Pandora's ever seen. The only way to TRULY stop me is to come to my ship and kill me! … Wait why did I tell you that!"

"What a rubbish evil genius you are. Good god, man, show some backbone. Throw some sarcastic taunts at us or something," Sir Hammerlock said in response.

" What?! No! The Vault Hunter just killed a bunch of guys now they're going to ruin my plans – I'm scared out of my MIND!"

While Sir Hammerlock and Professor Nakayama had gone back and forth Zero had exited the lab, gone through the checkpoint, and was now running along the strip of highway. After a few minutes Zero reached the end and came to a door leading to Hunter's Grotto.

After passing under the doorway Zero walked onto a highway suspended high above the swamps of Hunter's Grotto. Down below and to Zero's left off of the highway Zero saw the Hunter's Lodge. After jumping down from the highway to a strip of relatively dry land down below it took some maneuvering but eventually Zero made his way back to the lodge. He found Sir Hammerlock seated in his favorite chair.

Sir Hammerlock then said, "Now, to shut that idiotic Professor up for good."


	17. Last Chapter: The Fall Of Nakayama

**A/N: Alright, thanks for reading Primed For Extinction Part 3 (this chapter may have fell below my predicted 5,000 words). Before I do Part 4, I want to do a little story called Primed For Prequel. It will basically be a prequel for Primed For Extinction. It will detail my retelling of the last 3 to 4 missions of the main campaign of Borderlands 2, in the last chapter I'll bring to light the terrible event that made Maya and Zero run away in search of adventure elsewhere in the first place. After Primed For Prequel is over (which shouldn't take long) I'll be jumping back into Primed For Extinction.**

**For those of you interested, Part 4 of Primed For Extinction will be based off of almost all the side missions of Tiny Tina's Assault On Dragon's Keep the DLC … as well as all the main missions.**

**I did say I would extend this chapter out more but personally things were getting a bit too long. Hope it was still enjoyable.**

**Chapter 17: The Fall Of Nakayama**

**Mission(s): The Fall Of Nakayama * Main Mission**

**DLC: Sir Hammerlock's Big Game Hunt**

Sir Hammerlock instructed still seated in his favorite chair, "As the good professor so moronically told us, he's still in possession of a secondary genetic modification lab in the confines of his crashed ship the H.S.S. Terminus. Being the badass you are I'm certain you'll have no trouble heading to his ship and shooting the living daylights out of him."

After receiving the final mission from Sir Hammerlock, Zero checked the list of items and matched them with the items in his bag. The Assassin saw that he had all the things he needed to cure Maya of her deadly disease. Sir Hammerlock assured Zero that he could ship the items to Dr. Zed, but the gentleman also told Zero that he still needed to find the actual Cure, for the Starlight Disease.

Now with one final goal in mind - find the Cure - Zero set out by turning to the left and heading out of the lodge. He went down and to the right going along the arm of rock, and came to the catch-a-boat station. After summoning a Fan Boat from the station, Zero piloted it over the murky still cold marsh waters.

After coming to the inlet bordered by two decimated Savage villages, Zero sailed to the village situated against the cliff opposite the one nearest the Hunter's Lodge. Zero parked the Fan Boat, and leaving it turned off he jumped out and made his way through the village wreckage. Zero made it to a set of stone steps, which he ascended and came to a hole in the rock wall.

Extending from the entrance, was quite a long tunnel but not quite far enough that Zero couldn't see the light at the end. Zero made his way quickly through the tunnel and eventually he came to the end. Checking his minimap Zero saw that the way forward was a path of sorts sometimes on top of and inside a long crag coming up from the fog shrouded ground to way up high in the air.

Professor Nakayama came on the ECHO, "Vault Hunter! Quick suggestion: just stop chasing me. I've already found my secret weapon and I'm activating it now, so, you know, you're already too late. No need to head to the Terminus and kill me. No reason whatsoever."

The first thing Zero did after listening to Nakayama speak, and checking his minimap - planning out the best rout to the Terminus, was go straight forward and stock up on ammo and health hypos from the two conveniently placed vending machines. After that Zero turned to his right and moved forward.

The path Zero took started out curving around the cliff side fairly narrow with a fence on one side. Eventually the fence disappeared entirely and Zero made it to a more open area. The path widened out considerably and still ran along the side of the cliff on the right; it wound down then to the left narrowing near the end of the cliff. Zero walked down all the way to 100 feet where the narrowing began and encountered a few Savage tepees set up on either side of a river cutting through the path.

Closer examination of Zero's surroundings revealed Candlerakk's Crag – what the area was called – was a lot larger than Zero had originally thought. After setting the first 3 Savage tepees on fire roasting the occupants inside, Zero crept up to the panicking Savages coming out of the 4th and 5th tepees and tossed two quick high explosive grenades.

After eliminating the Savages and destroying all but one of their tepees Zero continued on wards. Heading left Zero made his way along the path that was narrower still on the left side of the cliff.

Sir Hammerlock says, "You're nearly there, Vault Hunter – you must find the professor and wipe him out before he unleashes his secret weapon! Quite ironic, in a sense; we came here to track creatures, and now you're hunting the most dangerous game of all."

Claptrap butts in, "Man is the most dangerous game, Minion. Just FYI."

Zero then made it around the curve of the path, and came to an abandoned tepee. After traveling another 10 feet or so zero took cover behind some rocks stacked like sandbags. He peaked around them and started sniping Savages inside the collection of tepees – and a cage hanging from a support built high into the cliff face, as well as a close line stretching from a tepee to a wooden pole set a ways from the tepee.

At first the Savages didn't know where the shots were coming from, and this caused much confusion amongst their camp (or village, since villages of the Savage sort tended to be rather small). By the time the Savage warriors brought up their shields and prepared to defend all of their other Savage brothers died.

Before going in for the slaughter with a grenade and his Sandhawk Zero contemplated this curious question, where the hell were the female Savages? Zero suddenly burst out from behind his cover, tossing his grenade to one side Zero fired off several rounds from his Sandhawk. In a matter of seconds the rest of the Savages at this checkpoint had been eliminated.

Zero then moved forward between a jutting up section of rock and the cliff wall. After ascending a carved out stone staircase Zero came to a small Savage group huddled around a fire, Zero immediately took out his shotgun and blasted the coals in the fire. Immediately the glowing embers spread out and caught two of the Savages setting them on fire.

The rest sprang to their feet and faced Zero who almost instantly tore them apart with excellent timing with Deception and quick accurate – to the neck splitting the head form the body – swipes from his katana. After eliminating the small group of Savages Zero walked across a metal bridge spanning over a wide raging river cutting the path in half flowing from a waterfall off to the right and all the way to the left falling down into the fog below.

The path ahead of Zero disappeared into an area of land that allowed a Savage encampment to stretch across an area of about 50 feet – give or take about 5 feet. Zero fought his way through the Savages without much difficulty, and when he reached the other side of the encampment Zero checked his ammo and health supply.

Despite all the Savages Zero had conserved much of his ammo knowing he would be facing a tough fight when he finally reached the Terminus and faced off against Nakayama's secret weapon. Zero came to a 'fork' in the 'road' ahead and since the minimap showed the wiser choice Zero went to the left and ascended a very crude imitation of stone stairs.

Zero came up to a small oval-ish sized land area; he walked off to the left and saw before him a great chasm. The rock Zero was standing on was separated from the rock he needed to get to by about 200 feet of air and down below the fog of uncertainty. A very long thin bridge spanned the chasm and Zero started to walk across it but stopped suddenly when he heard inhuman shouts coming from the other side of the bridge.

Professor Nakayama said, "Crap, you're still coming for me?! Uhm, okay … ah! Release the elites!"

Zero copied a technique he had read from an ancient book, hold a hoard of enemies by forcing them to advance one by one across a narrow bridge. Using only his katana Zero quickly disposed of the Elite Savage's shields and either 1) sliced their heads off and shoving their bodies over the edge or 2) simply shoving them over the side to fall down the edge into the fog.

Professor Nakayama said in disbelief when Zero had finally killed the last Elite Savage, "WHAT THE HELL?! Those were literally my best guys! Oh, I'm so screwed. CRAP. CRAP. CRAP."

Zero had now crossed the bridge and made it to the huge crag of rock he needed to be on. Zero moved left and wove his way through the encampment that the Elite Savages had used. Eventually as Zero made his way along the path he came to a grouping of both Savage tepees and makeshift old houses.

A witch doctor covered in electricity and wielding a blue staff stepped out of the house and started shooting balls of electricity at Zero. After dodging around for a bit the balls started increasing in size and splash damage so Zero had to move forward quickly to take out the witch doctor.

After cutting off the head of the witch doctor with is katana, Zero continued to move forward. He made his way between two sections of rock walking up another roughly carved out stone staircase. After coming to the top Zero entered an area that was pretty much divided into two sections – Zero stood on the lower section, which had an old rusted tin and other metal house off near the middle and to the right of Zero.

The Assassin crept to the left and went up another set of stone stairs. When Zero came to the collection of old metal tarp-draped houses on the higher section of ground he encountered a group of Savages. A giant explosive spore descended from above and started to attack. After letting the Savages take care of the giant spore Zero took out the wounded and killed the still living.

Zero went slightly to his right and came to the only way through the cliff; Zero found the giant skull placed in the cliff acting as the entrance to be disturbing. Nevertheless Zero walked through the wide-open skull of the strange beast and up the stone steps, that gradually turned to the left.

Eventually the path between the rock straightened out and Zero saw before him a place filled with Scaylion dens. Around the base of a pillar and most of the walls surrounding it weird red bulbous natural occurrences stretched and grew.

Using quick strategic movements Zero used the Sandhawk to quickly eliminate the Scaylion creatures in front of him. Zero knew he needed to move faster so eventually he left some of them behind and powered through sprinting off into the distance. Zero went right and continued onward swerving left and pounding across the compacted gravel more like stone ground around the pillar.

Forward the Assassin moved, swiftly across the ground and up a metal staircase switching around and up another one heading in the opposite direction. Turning right after reaching the top of the second metal staircase Zero went diagonal across a metal platform of a structure built into and on top of the rock.

Zero climbed another short metal staircase and hurried across the bridge. Zero slowed down to a crouch and took out his shotgun, after hearing Savages yelling ahead. Zero rushed up a long thin metal staircase leading up to a higher elevation of rock. He knocked many of the Savages off into the fog with quick swipes of the butt end of his katana.

After slicing through the rest and leaving their bodies lying on the ground their blood bathing the rocky ground, Zero moved forward making his way along a path that curved around a final Savage house. Around the bend and after scaling one final increase in rock elevation Zero saw the giant H.S.S. Terminus, crashed on the rock a middle section resting on the rock the other two ends holding on by clearly visible supports, dangling off the edges into the fog.

Claptrap instructed, "Alright, ya made it – remember, the code is 1 3 4."

Zero approached the door set in the middle of the middle section. He went up the left side staircase which lead to a code system of wheels that when turned to four corresponding numbers must allow a button – located to the right of the code system and to the left of the door – to open the metal door.

After entering the code Zero pressed the button and like magic (not really) the door opened.

Professor Nakayama said in a panicked voice, "Crap they got the door open! CrapcrapcrapCRAP! God damn it! I wanted my secret weapon ready by the time you got here! This isn't fair! This isn't fair!"

Ignoring the professor's ramblings Zero jumped down to his right and turned left heading inside the door. The area inside was small and Zero quickly went forward and made sure he had enough sniper ammo. After that Zero turned to his right and crouching down made his way through a vent.

After moving forward ten feet down the vent Zero suddenly dropped forward and landed in a sunken cargo room. It had been sunken for so long that grass had grown on most of the floor – a hole was in the wall – and water lay in a thin yet thick layer of dew atop the grass. A few fairly large cargo crates lay behind and to the side of Zero, dangling from the ceiling was numerous large tanks filled with what must have been biodegradable – but still deadly – acid.

To Zero's far off right a gate was crashed through. A hulking deformed and discolored black and yellow ape like monstrosity roared out into the open. Two metal energy cells were attached to its back and on either side of them were two robotic arms ready to act as a second set of primary arms for the creature known as Jackenstine.

Using his golden gun Zero quickly eliminated and shout through – thereby exploding – one of the metal energy cells attached to Jackenstine's back. After eliminating the first energy cell Zero watched as bots began to digistruct on to the ground with him and Jackenstine jump up to a higher ledge to the left. An energy shield surrounded Jackenstine and it was clear that Zero would have to contend with the bots until Jackenstine decided to jump down.

Zero took out his Resolute Rifle and blasted apart the Loaders from close up and long range. After eliminating four to five from the two-digistruct stations Jackenstine finally jumped down from his perch the energy shield deactivated. Zero immediately used his sniper rifle to take out the second energy cell.

Jackenstine then became enraged and charged at Zero recklessly. Zero had to dodge aside and wasn't afforded a shot. Jackenstine turned around and faced Zero he opened up his chest and after spreading his arms wide started lobbing electric balls of pure energy from an entity sewn into his chest.

Zero desperately pumped bullets into Jackenstine's chest, but at the same time Zero dodged forward and made his way into close proximity to Jackenstine. Zero then, abandoning his gun, leapt up into the air and using his katana plunged it into the middle of the entity in Jackenstine's chest.

A Jack mask in front of a core of electricity raged for a moment then Zero received a shock that almost went through is suit.

Claptrap yelled, "Woo hoo! We did it! In your CLONED FACE!

Professor Nakayama – Zero was now standing on top of Jackenstine so he could see – spoke from atop a metal platform in front of a small staircase that lead to his lab, "Okay, I'm totally terrified right now. But I think I've still got a chance to stop you, Vault Hunter. You may be a walking apocalypse, but I've got my brains, and my guns, and this ship – I may just have a chance against you!"

Right as Professor Nakayama said 'you' he fell down a set of digitally constructing stairs. Right as he reached the middle the stairs had formed and solidified into stone hardness, and by the time the professor reached the bottom he was dead his body crumpled.

Sir Hammerlock said, "Exemplary, Vault Hunter! Now, go collect the fruits of your labors from the Terminus! I'm absolutely positive that Nakayama will have the Cure inside his lab!"

Zero made his way up the stairs and into the lab. In an unused corner Zero dug up a file that explained how to extract Eridium in a specific and very detailed complicated way to form a substance called the Cure. Infused with pure Iridium – the iron-ish metal – the Eridium and Slag would form the Cure.

Zero took the Cure recipe and went to the Fast Travel station. He entered the coordinates to Sanctuary and then went zooming off into the system – solely intent on curing Maya, not even bothering to look into Nakayama's armory.


End file.
